DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state Senate has rejected a Democratic proposal to raise vehicle fees to pay for road and infrastructure improvements.
The measure was defeated on a party-line vote Thursday in the Democrat-controlled Senate, having cleared the Democrat-led House on a party-line vote last month.
The Democratic House majority was big enough for the required three-fifths majority, but Senate Democrats needed and failed to get Republican support.
The legislation would have increased the tax on car sales from 3.75 percent to 4.25 percent. Penalties for late license and registration renewals, along with several other fees, also would have increased substantially.
The increases would have generated about $24 million annually, a fraction of what transportation officials say is a $780 million deficit over the next six years for road maintenance and delayed projects.
